By the second-to-last day of NYC AI Week, you’ve probably heard plenty about what AI can do. But what can it do for you? Especially if you hate being on camera, cringe at the idea of self-" canonical: "https://www.gomry.com/event/Branding-Without-Performing-Build-Your-Brand-Without-Being-Fake-AIWeekNY-hbUOBURdhCSGaOOYgeOR" --- # Branding Without Performing: Build Your Brand Without Being Fake - #AIWeekNY - **Event id**: `hbUOBURdhCSGaOOYgeOR` - **Starts**: 2026-10-10T19:30:00.000Z (America/New_York) - **Ends**: 2026-10-10T22:00:00.000Z (America/New_York) - **Where**: New York, United States - **Organizer**: Inward AI - **Availability**: `on_sale` - **Price**: free - **Page**: https://www.gomry.com/event/Branding-Without-Performing-Build-Your-Brand-Without-Being-Fake-AIWeekNY-hbUOBURdhCSGaOOYgeOR?utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=catalogApi ## About
By the second-to-last day of NYC AI Week, you’ve probably heard plenty about what AI can do. But what can it do for you? Especially if you hate being on camera, cringe at the idea of self-promotion, or feel like personal branding has become one more performance you’re expected to put on.
Branding Inward is a creative gathering for people who want to build their visibility without losing themselves in the process.
Marketing and personal branding can sometimes feel performative, inauthentic, or downright exhausting. It’s easy to fall into the trap of copying what everyone else is doing, following the latest trends, and trying to fit into a mold that was never meant for you.
This gathering is about breaking that cycle. Through practical exercises, creative exploration, and a look at useful AI tools, we’ll explore how to tell your story, communicate your value, and build a brand that feels like you, whether or not you ever want to become a content creator.
Joining the conversation is Jack McNamara, an award-winning Creative Director, who will explore how human creativity and AI can work together to tell better stories, build meaningful brands, and stand out without performing.
Sabiha Afrin, Director of Marketing & Advertising, will lead an exploration of how to use AI and practical branding strategies to communicate your value, find your voice, and build visibility in a way that feels authentic to you, even if you hate being on camera or promoting yourself. Through practical exercises, she’ll help attendees rethink what personal branding can look like when you stop trying to fit someone else’s mold.
The workshop will also feature Jasmine Hall, Brand Strategist and Founder of Jasper Thorne, who will unpack the difference between marketing and branding, why that distinction matters, and how the two work together to create a cohesive, memorable brand.
How the afternoon flows:
3:15 PM Gate open! Arrive, grab chai, meet a few people. No pressure, no icebreakers.
3:30 PM Welcome & Intros
3:40 PM The Workshop
What a personal brand actually is, why it matters more now that AI shapes how people find you, and how to show up online without pretending to be someone else. You'll try a few AI tools, including Inward AI, a free tool I built specifically for this.
4:10 PM Break
4:15 PM | Main Panel and Q&A with the Real Ones
Rewriting the Rules: The People Behind Brands That Don’t Feel Fake
Hear from accomplished voices who once cringed at the idea of a “personal brand.” How did they get started? What felt awkward? What actually worked? And what do they wish someone had told them on day one?
A candid conversation about finding your voice, building visibility without becoming someone you’re not, and navigating the pressure to constantly perform, especially when you’re more introverted, private, or simply don’t want to live online.
Featuring:
Jo Rose, entrepreneur, MBA, TEDx speaker, and founder and host of A Zen Mind, a globally acclaimed meditation podcast. After building an early-stage successful career in corporate tech, Jo felt called toward work that created deeper impact. She founded A Zen Mind in 2023 with a mission to normalize meditation as a practical, accessible tool for modern life.
&
Galina Fendikevich, whose career spans Wall Street machine learning, a tech exit to Niantic (the creators of Pokémon GO), and leading U.S. go-to-market strategy at a generative AI unicorn. She also hosts Artificial Reality, interviewing the operators putting AI into practice.
5:00 PM Curious Conversations
Enjoy cookies by Cammies while talking with people who get it.
5:45-6 PM Wrap
You'll leave with a brand statement that sounds like you, a plan for what's next, and maybe a new hype buddy! :)
Share as much or as little as you like. Bring a laptop if you have one. A phone and an open mind work too!
A quick heads up: We’ll be taking photos and short videos throughout the event for future event and community content. If you’d prefer not to be photographed or filmed, just let us know when you arrive.
This event is part of #AIWeekNY by Pulse NYC — a community-led festival celebrating innovation across the AI ecosystem. More at https://pulse.nyc/ai-week/.